By Chris Story

Last updated at 10:14, Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Dog walkers are being warned of the hefty penalties they could face if they don’t clean up after their pet.

High-priority surveillance zones have been set up in an attempt to catch and deter those responsible for leaving mess behind.

Carlisle City Council has already put up 10 warning signs on the Botcherby estate. Another 10 are also in place in Currock.

They are part of the authority’s Love Where You Live campaign, which aims to clean up the city and brings with it a zero-tolerance stance against problems such as dog fouling and littering.

Jenny Cray, of Old Harraby, is one of the residents backing the initiative, a priority of the council’s ruling Labour executive after they seized control of the authority in May.

She said: “I want to walk my dogs in clean areas. I am delighted that these signs emphasise that part of owning a dog is taking on the responsibility of cleaning up after it.”

The signs are being backed up by patrols from litter and dog wardens, who have the power to issue fixed penalty notices against those caught breaking the law.

Elsie Martlew, the councillor responsible for the environment, said: “Signs have an important part in reminding dog owners of their responsibilities, but they often become an unseen part of the street furniture.

“These particular signs will move roughly every two months and will coincide with our officers carrying out targeted patrols of these areas.”

The faces of people backing the campaign now feature on the side of recycling vehicles and Stagecoach buses, urging people to take pride in their city.

Enforcement to tackle the problems is being backed by an education campaign.

Council officials say the number of fines they have issued has increased since the new team of street wardens started patrolling. Court action has also been taken against those who refuse to pay fixed penalties.

As well as those who fail to clean up their dog’s mess or drop litter, fines can also be issued against those caught fly-tipping, spraying graffiti or fly-posting.

First published at 10:09, Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk